Introducing the Filson Dutch Harbor

As we spoke about in our initial hands-on review of the Filson Journeyman GMT, I view the Filson line of watches as a way for Shinola to sort of play around with their designs a bit, and take things in slightly different directions. Â While I would not go so far as to say that the Filson Dutch Harbor is breaking new ground, it is definitely a rather comely implementation of a dive watch.

Now, when it comes to a dive watch, there are a few things to look for. Â For most of us who are not divers, we are looking at the, well, looks of the watch first and foremost. Â While no one would accuse Shinola (or Filson) as being haute horologie, they are definitely in the business of making things that look good, and theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor is no exception to that model. Â The most striking implementation for me is the black dial with the blue bezel, but all of them highlight what the watch offers. Â Legibility is high on most of the models (except for the stealthed out model) due to high contrast between dial and indice/numeral colors; I’m particularly a fan of the large triangles at the compass points.

I am also a fan of the multi-layer dial they have built up, and the fact that they managed to make color-matched date wheels appear on all of the models in the lineup. Â Yeah, theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor is not an inexpensive watch, but we have seen plenty of brands creating more expensive watches that manage to not do this cleanly. Â The one bit on theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor that I am not as much a fan of is the bezel insert. Â While I like the colors used, it looks like just another flat insert (can’t tell if it’s steel or aluminum) which makes me suspect that it is not lumed. Â This is a guess on my part, as I’ve not seen any lumeshots of theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor, nor have we seen this in person.

For this implementation, theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor offers quite a few different color combinations, case finishes, and strap (or bracelet) options. Â For me, I rather liked the black dial and blue bezel, and would certainly look to get that paired to the three-link bracelet they have on offer. Â Pricing on theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor starts atÂ $750, and tops out atÂ $950 for the version on the steel bracelet. Â Is the pricing a bit higher than we might like to see on a quartz-equipped diver? Â Yeah, it is, and that would personally give me pause. Â That said, the look of theÂ Filson Dutch Harbor really appealed to me, and I felt sure we needed to bring it to the attention of our readers. Â filson.com

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A big data developer and leader with a penchant for gadgets, books, watches and beverages. You can find my work on WristWatchReview, Knapsack.News, and Slushpile.
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4 COMMENTS

The whole Shinola thing is pretty fake to start with, Filson doesn’t make it any more credible.950 for a time only quartz watch!? I dig the Filson vibe; made in america to last and all but whats my 950 paying for? A high quality stainless case and bracelet? The Filson brand? Made in China assembled in Detroit? Laughable.

Completely agree on that with dlud. I would even dare to put J.Crew x Timex Andros or something from – God forbid – FOSSIL diveable pieces against this one. And yes, look-and-feel is probably there. But for what price? I wish them luck, of course.